Promotion This Season ?

[Eastanders]

Early days but I really feel we are building something at the club.
Not worried about early performances myself
I think once we bring in the four players mentioned by Sheeran and they gel, think we will have a superb team that will be both entertaining and successful
Patience is called for though.
I get the impression the owners are serious about being successful as is shown by the backing they are giving Sheehan

 

[Pegojack]

Let's not bandy about the 'P' word when we are only two games into the season.
That is hubris worthy of the deluded arseh*les up the road. Let's just see how we go on.

 

[PenriceJack]

Alright, alright, settle down there, Captain Sensible. I get your point. We've barely warmed our seats in the stands, let alone earned the right to start measuring for a bloody open-top bus parade. Reminds me of that time I bought a lottery ticket and started planning my mansion before they even drew the numbers. Humbling experience, that was.

And you're right, the lot from up the road practically invented premature celebrations. It's like they peak in August and then spend the rest of the year trying to remember what winning feels like.

So yeah, point taken. Let's just enjoy the ride, see where it takes us. Though, if we're still top of the league come Christmas, I might allow myself a tiny bit of cautious optimism. Just a smidge.

YJB

 

[Cinio Dydd Sul]

No, absolutely not.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Considering we could have made the playoffs last season with a squad that many people assert was almost entirely crap if we'd sacked Williams a month or two earlier, I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility for us to be there or thereabouts this season *if* the players we've brought/are bringing in are as good as we all hope.

Any team capable of putting together a few decent runs of form can be a top six contender. It's always been the case in the Championship.

 

[bakajack]

Considering we could have made the playoffs last season with a squad that many people assert was almost entirely crap if we'd sacked Williams a month or two earlier, I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility for us to be there or thereabouts this season *if* the players we've brought/are bringing in are as good as we all hope.

Any team capable of putting together a few decent runs of form can be a top six contender. It's always been the case in the Championship.

In my opinion the quality of the players won't be the issue

Sheehan had the luxury during his run last season of a team under practically zero pressure in terms of relegation pretty much as soon as he won that first game 3-0 against Blackburn

Getting into and maintaining promotion/playoff places is it's own kind of pressure, and other than Burgess there is no one in the squad who has experience dealing with that. For that reason alone Burgess will be indispensable to the squad and if (and it is an if) we put together that kind of run we will need him more than many realize.

 

[Dr. Winston]

In my opinion the quality of the players won't be the issue

Sheehan had the luxury during his run last season of a team under practically zero pressure in terms of relegation pretty much as soon as he won that first game 3-0 against Blackburn

Getting into and maintaining promotion/playoff places is it's own kind of pressure, and other than Burgess there is no one in the squad who has experience dealing with that. For that reason alone Burgess will be indispensable to the squad and if (and it is an if) we put together that kind of run we will need him more than many realize.

Fair points. Sheehan and the team are certainly going to be under pressure from the fans if the OTT reaction to the Middlesbrough game is any indication. It'll be interesting to know what the internal expectations are though.

Obviously they'd be delighted to hit the ground running and be in the hunt for promotion straight away, but if they went into this Summer seeing it as a project that might need 2/3 windows to complete then they might have a bit more freedom against that expectation.

 

[Ringwood]

Considering how the parachute teams are performing the league is wide open at present. Although those teams have time still to spend big in this window

 

[ajacks]

Nah - we might spawn it into the play offs and then its anyones guess over 2 games and a final but more likely its a slightly stronger than last year mid table finish and then look up after that.

 

[bakajack]

Considering how the parachute teams are performing the league is wide open at present. Although those teams have time still to spend big in this window

I felt that Sheffield United were going to struggle after having to cut a lot of cloth due to failing to go up last season
Southampton is the only one of the three relegated sides who might arguably be happy with the results of their opening two games. Ipswich have picked up two draws and Leicester have won one lost one.

The big expectations so far of Wrexham walking the league with their big money and Hollywood glitz and glamour hasn't materialized yet, Birmingham have made a better fist of it so far.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

If we get a decent striker, top 6 is possible with a fair wind and a good injury/suspension record.

If we don't get a decent striker then it's comfy mid-table.

(That's based on what we have in the building right now and on the assumption we don't lose any key players).

 

[monmouth]

As likely to be relegated as promoted, and as likely again to be mid table. This looks like it will be another championship where anyone can beat anyone. Maybe even more so, as the relegated teams don't look much cop so far, and I reckon the promoted clubs are going to find it harder than they fantasised.

So as Sham would say, it's just a ride. Enjoy it, and just try and win one match at a time and, as a Brentford fan said all the time on 606 in about 2005, when they were our rivals, see where the journey takes us.

 

[JackSomething]

Isn't our opening run of games supposed to be very difficult? If we make the signings we want by the end of the month and are in the top half of the table after say 10 games, then there'll certainly be reasons to be optimistic.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Isn't our opening run of games supposed to be very difficult? If we make the signings we want by the end of the month and are in the top half of the table after say 10 games, then there'll certainly be reasons to be optimistic.

We've got a stinking run in on paper as well.

It's the middle 30 or so games where we probably need to make hay if we're going to do anything top 6 wise.

 

[CurtessECarr]

One ropey performance followed by one good one is not something I could base our chances of leaving this division in either direction.
If we are in the mix in January then fair enough.